Hong Kong saw a decline in newly confirmed Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection cases in the second quarter of 2024, the city’s Centre for Health Protection said Tuesday.

The CHP said in a statement that a total of 80 HIV infection were reported in the second quarter, compared with 105 cases in the first three months of the year.

The new cases brought the cumulative total of HIV infections reported locally to 12,223 since 1984.

"Sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission. The only way to know one's HIV status is to undergo HIV antibody testing,” a spokesman for the CHP was quoted as saying in the statement.

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He said that, in the past 10 years, over 80 percent of HIV patients progressed to AIDS within three months of HIV diagnosis.

“This indicates that the majority of people with AIDS have not undergone HIV antibody testing early,” the spokesman said.

He said that receiving early HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs can effectively prevent the progression to AIDS and other complications in people with HIV.

Lifelong antiretroviral treatment is indicated for all people with HIV, and the treatment remarkably improves their health and possibility of survival, the spokesman added.

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Of the 80 new cases involving 60 males and 20 females, 42 were infected via homosexual or bisexual contact, and 26 via heterosexual contact. The routes of transmission of the remaining 12 cases have yet to be determined due to incomplete information, the CHP said.

The new cases were mainly reported by three sources: Public hospitals, clinics and laboratories (34 cases); AIDS service organizations (13 cases), and private hospitals, clinics and laboratories (12 cases).

Also, 65 of the 80 newly reported cases have already received HIV specialist services at the Department of Health or the Hospital Authority.

The CHP said 16 new AIDS cases were reported in the second quarter, of which 12 cases were attributed to homosexual or bisexual contact, and four cases were related to heterosexual contact. Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2,523 confirmed AIDS cases have been reported in Hong Kong.

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“Members of the public should use condoms consistently and properly to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV. Those with a history of unsafe sex should take an HIV antibody test early,” the spokesman said.